


P. Kane and the Finnish Rookie

by waywardrenegade



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Chicago Blackhawks, Gen, Sorry Not Sorry, projecting my feelings onto others, rookie love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:31:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardrenegade/pseuds/waywardrenegade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s almost like Teuvo’s the little brother Pat never knew he wanted before now; he’s that protective already. Pat wants the opportunity and responsibility more than he’s wanted a lot of things in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	P. Kane and the Finnish Rookie

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, I watched Teuvo at practice and in preseason for almost a week in person and really fell in love with his style. I'm also convinced he's actually Kaner's baby bro (and that Saader is the Tazer to Teuvo's Kaner), so this is me projecting my feelings onto an innocent bystander named Patrick Kane.
> 
> Update (10-7-14): I know, I know, things have changed since this was written. For instance, the Finnish boy wonder wears 86 now, but he wore 23 last year. Since it was written back then, I'm not going to change it. :))

They’ve been on the same line more than a few times now, usually with Bicks, but on the rare occasion that they’re not together, Patrick’s keen eyes are fixed on Teuvo. He tracks the 23 on Teuvo’s sweater almost out of instinct, anticipating his next moves, and constantly feeling reassured when he predicts them accurately because he knows that if it were him, he’d make the very same plays.  
  
The kid’s some sort of Finnish hockey automaton as far as Pat’s concerned, and the comparisons to himself and Pavel Datsyuk make more sense now. His movements remind Pat of Datsyuk, smooth and swift, but his stick handling and puck control is pure Patrick. By the way he seems to unconsciously mirror Pat’s actions on ice, it’s as if he studied Pat’s highlight reels for hours on end while playing for Jokerit.  
  
Pat can easily see that he’s going to be incredible, already is really with his effortless skating and ability to foresee where he needs to be before he even needs to be there, but Q’s convinced another year with Jokerit will bulk him up and make him even more formidable. And while he usually has an enormous amount of respect for Q’s decisions, Pat’s pretty sure he’s making the wrong call. As one of the smallest Hawks himself, he has an intimate knowledge with being looked down upon for his lack of size and then proving others wrong by more than making up for it with his explosiveness.  
  
Pat almost wants to pull Q aside and somehow persuade him to let him mentor and mold Teuvo himself as he’s quite familiar with this particular dilemma. He recognizes that the kid’s a gem and just needs some minor polishing before taking on the beast that is the NHL. Pat knows he can help Teuvo be better, damn you, Jonny, if only he were given the chance.  
  
Pat envisions himself and Teuvo running speed drills across the practice rink at Johnny’s Ice House, passing the puck off the boards, shooting empty netters, and creating a goal celly all their own. They’d work on perfecting what Pat refers to as the “Datsyukian deke”, break a sweat lifting at the gym several times a week, and maybe even pull a few pranks on Sharpy as payback for all the shit he and Burs put Jonny and him through over the years.  
  
It’s almost like Teuvo’s the little brother Pat never knew he wanted before now; he’s that protective already. Pat wants the opportunity and responsibility more than he’s wanted a lot of things in his life.  
  
He tells Jonny a vague version of the thoughts bouncing around in his head, something along the lines of, “Tazer, he’s a mini-me. Who better to develop him than me? C’mon, Jonny, you know I’m right.”  
  
Jonny, in his captainly manner, regards Pat through the now infamous Dead Shark Eyes, giving exactly nothing away, before he lets out a resigned, “I know, Kaner. I actually agree with you for once, but it’s not my call.”  
  
Pat tries to play it off like it’s really not a big deal because it shouldn’t be but inside he feels like someone sucker punched him and then kicked him in the ribs for good measure.  
  
After they lose in a preseason shootout to Pittsburgh, Teuvo’s headed back to Finland for another season with Jokerit and more time to get sturdier; meanwhile, Pat’s enveloped in a sense of loss that hits him harder than it ought to. He claps a hand on Teuvo’s (admittedly still just this side of scrawny) back and affectionately ruffles his blonde hair before whispering, “Good luck, kid. You play some beautiful hockey, and it’s been a lot of fun playing with you. Can’t wait until you’re back,” into the hollow between Teuvo’s neck and shoulder.


End file.
